Green Councillors were disappointed by the Labour Administration’s rejection of a feasibility study into wind power in the city at the full council meeting on April 3rd. Greens called for a reopening of the feasibility study closed by the previous Lib Dem administration into a wind farm at , but were voted down by Labour and Lib Dem Councillors.
Green Cllr Rob Murphy comments : “With recent high energy prices, wind power offers real financial benefits to hard up communities. Our Council should be jumping at the chance to bring investment and jobs to the city.”
He added “It’s a real shame that in Sheffield only the Green Party are prepared to make the tough decisions needed to deal with the looming energy crisis.”
NOTES :
1 – The Green Party amendment to motion 11 to Sheffield Council reads :
| Amendment to be moved by Councillor Robert Murphy, seconded by Councillor Jillian Creasy |
| That the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (p) as follows, and the re-lettering of original paragraph (p) as a new paragraph (q):- |
 |
| “(p) understands the need for Sheffield to contribute to energy generation and requests the current Administration to reopen the feasibility study into a windfarm at Westwood Country Park which was halted by the previous Administration.” |
| 2 – The motion that the amendment was tabled for reads :11. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR JACK SCOTTThat this Council:
(a) notes with alarm that average fuel bills have increased by £300 since the Coalition Government came to power;
(b) further notes that funding for insulation and fuel poverty projects has been cut significantly by the Government, with the end of Warm Front and other grants;
(c) further notes the extremely short-sighted Government decision not to invest in green technology projects, such as South Yorkshire’s Carbon Capture Scheme in Hatfield;
(d) further notes the Government’s much-vaunted Green Deal could represent a positive approach, but has been appallingly mismanaged and subject to numerous unnecessary delays;
(e) recalls the huge success of the Free Insulation Scheme, funded through investment from the previous Government and initiated by the previous Labour Administration, which delivered improvements to over 28,000 Sheffield homes, reduced carbon emissions by 22,000 tonnes and secured energy savings to Sheffield people worth over £3.9m per year;
(f) celebrates that the current Administration has secured resources to undertake 100 – 150 physical improvements to heating (including insulation, central heating, replacement boilers and draught-proofing where this is still needed);
(g) further celebrates that the Administration has secured a package of support and advice, targeted where it is needed, which will include information on how to use less energy, heating controls, cold weather payments, assistance with tackling any fuel debts and benefits advice and help with energy tariffs;
(h) hopes that the positive outcomes the Administration will achieve will help to inform future schemes that further reduce fuel poverty in the City and calls on the Government to take significantly more action to tackle high energy bills;
(i) notes the launch of the Big Sheffield Switch;
(j) urges Sheffield residents to sign up to the scheme, which creates a mechanism for as many people as possible to register their interest in moving their energy provider through an auction held with energy supply companies;
(k) recognises the strength in banding together to secure a much better energy deal;
(l) understands that the people with most to gain are those who’ve never previously ‘switched’ (around 50% of the population), especially those on pre-payment meters or accounts that are just on standard tariffs; (m) celebrates that the significant public campaign for this scheme is at no direct cost to the Council;
(n) believes that the “Big Sheffield Switch” further demonstrates the ability of the public sector to make lasting improvements to people’s lives and what can be achieved when people co-operate together;
(o) recognises that the previous Administration utterly failed to undertake a collective energy scheme and warmly anticipates further Sheffield collective energy schemes in the future; and
(p) concludes that the above actions, combined with reduced waste generation, significant increases in recycling and a clear commitment to bring forward Sheffield’s first Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, highlight Sheffield’s place as a leading environmental city. |